1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to apparatus mounting highway markers and signs to road surfaces, and more specifically to mounting flexible, replaceable shaft, markers and signs.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Markers and signs are widely used on streets and highways for various purposes: to indicate the edge of the road, to direct and control traffic flow, to warn of road hazards and to provide information by indicating direction or location. Frequently these markers are positioned where they may be accidently struck by a passing vehicle.
When struck by a vehicle, most marker shafts break or become permanently deformed at the point they are attached to a mounting base. Since the mounting base usually survives the vehicle impact, only the marker and/or marker shaft requires replacement. And preferably the mounting base design permits replacement without the time, equipment and expense of detaching the mounting base from the road surface.
Recently, marker posts with flexible elements have been disclosed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,823 by Hughes, a flexible element is used near the bottom end of the marker shaft to help prevent damage caused by impact. The flexible element allows the marker shaft to bend from an upright position, to a position parallel to the roadway, and to snap back to the upright position, without sustaining damage. The '823 patent teaches the mounting of the flexible element to a post anchored in the ground adjacent to the roadway.
In many instances it is desirable to attach the mounting base to the roadway without damaging the road surface by digging an anchoring post hole. The '823 patent does not disclose a base for mounting to a roadway.
The highway marker disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,534 by Ryan permits replacement of the marker shaft without detaching the mounting base from the road surface. However, the base of Ryan is not designed to support the flexible portion of a marker shaft assembly as shown in Hughes.